In a rematch from the 2019 Club World Cup semi-finals, Al-Hilal have a chance at revenge when they face Flamengo at the same stage of the 2022 tournament when the two sides square off on Tuesday at Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier.
On Saturday, a late penalty helped the Saudis level their second-round encounter versus the hosts Wydad AC at 1-1, as Al-Za'eem advanced in a shootout, while the reigning Copa Libertadores champions are back in this competition for the first time since 2019 when they lost the final to Liverpool in extra-time (1-0).
Match preview
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It has been over a decade since a Brazilian club won this competition, and on Tuesday, Flamengo can become the third side from the Brasileiro Serie A to reach the final in the past four editions of this tournament.
The Club World Cup is one of the few major trophies missing from their cabinet, as Mengao have only captured one tournament on the international stage, winning the 1981 Intercontinental Cup, an event which dissolved after 2004, merging with this current competition.
Aside from a heartbreaking defeat to arch-rivals Palmeiras in the Supercopa do Brasil final last month (4-3), Vitor Pereira's men are in pretty good form this year, unbeaten in its previous six Campeonato Carioca Serie A affairs, conceding a goal or fewer each time.
In 18 previous editions of this tournament, a team from CONMEBOL have made it to the final on 13 occasions, but none has won it all since Corinthians upset Chelsea in 2012.
Flamengo dominated at the 2022 Copa Libertadores, becoming the first club to go unbeaten throughout that competition and win it all since Corinthians did it 10 years earlier.
The new Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A campaign is still a couple of months away from beginning, but in the meantime, Urubu are well positioned to make a run at the Campeonato Carioca, leading the table with 14 points after six matches.
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Al-Hilal dug deep on Saturday against the hosts from Casablanca and caught a break in injury time, as a handball in the box from Yahia Attiyat Allah enabled the Saudis to force extra time from the spot, while the Moroccan would also be the only player to miss in the shootout, sending Wydad to defeat.
Their victory on penalties has them in the semi-finals of this tournament for the third time in four seasons, giving them an opportunity to become the first club from the Saudi Pro League to ever reach the final and the first one from Asia to get there since Kishima Antlers made it in 2016.
Ramon Diaz saw his side concede the opening goal last Saturday for a second successive encounter in all competitions, though they have not given up more than one strike in a single encounter all year.
The last time they faced Flamengo in this competition, Al-Hilal seemed to have the match firmly in their grasp, going in front after 18 minutes before conceding the equaliser four minutes into the second half and giving up two more goals in the final 15 minutes to lose 3-1.
So far in their 2022-23 domestic competition, Al-Hilal have only suffered one defeat, sitting in fourth in the standings, two points back of Al-Nassr.
They have found the back of the net in all but one competitive fixture this year and have not been shut out of a league encounter since drawing 0-0 at Ettifaq last October.
Team News
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Gabriel Barbosa notched the winner for Flamengo in the 2022 Copa Libertadores final versus Athletico Paranaense as Santos made three saves for the clean sheet, Pedro won the Golden Boot at that competition with 12 strikes as those three players, along with David Luiz, Everton Ribeiro and Giorgian De Arrascaeta, were named to the Team of the Tournament.
In their previous semi-final appearance against Al-Hilal, De Arrascaeta scored the equaliser four minutes into the second half, Bruno Henrique was involved in all three goals, netting the winner 12 minutes from the end, while his cross four minutes later was deflected in by Al-Za'eem defender Ali Al-Bulaihi.
We saw three new faces in the Mengao starting 11 on Wednesday in their Carioca Serie A victory versus Boavista (1-0) as Matheus Cunha replaced Santos in goal, while Matheuzinho and Filipe Luis began on the defensive line rather than Ayrton and Guillermo Varela.
Mohamed Kanno helped rescue Al-Hilal with a 93rd-minute penalty on Saturday, while the first effort by Wydad in the shootout struck both posts, opening the door for the Saudis to win, and they took full advantage with Moussa Marega, Luciano Vietto, Saleh Al-Shehri, Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Musab Al-Juwayr all converting their spot kicks to send them into the semi-finals.
Salem Al-Dawsari put them up 1-0 when they faced Flamengo in the 2019 semi-finals, while Abdullah Al-Mayouf has not conceded more than one goal in a single match this year.
Kanno will be suspended for this encounter after receiving a second caution early into extra time last weekend, while Diaz made three changes to his starting 11 as Michael, Odion Ighalo and Marega replaced Andre Carrillo, Saleh Al-Shehri and Al-Hamdan.
Flamengo possible starting lineup:
Santos; Luis, Pereira, Luiz, Varela; Gerson, Maia, Ribeiro; De Arrascaeta; Henrique, Barbosa
Al-Hilal possible starting lineup:
Al-Mayouf; N. Al-Dawsari, Al-Bulaihi, Jang, Abdulhamid; S. Al-Dawsari, Cuellar, Vietto; Carrillo, Ighalo, Marega
We say: Flamengo 2-0 Al-Hilal
Flamengo know what it takes to win in the knockout stage, having made so many deep runs in South American club competitions of late, and their stingy backline should be relatively fresh and capable of containing a strong attacking side in Al-Hilal that expanded a lot of energy in their shootout victory last weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
